Adani Green Energy’s 648 MW Kamuthi Solar Power Plant in Tamil Nadu

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Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

Adani Green Energy’s 648 MW Kamuthi Solar Power Plant in Tamil Nadu

The Kamuthi Solar Power Plant occupies an area of 2,500 acres which is equal to the area of almost 60 Taj Mahals! Over 25 lakh solar panels are there within this solar power plant.

Currently, it powers 2.65 lakh homes. With a capacity of 648 MW, it has generated over 800 crore units of electricity till now.

Quick Facts on Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

Here are some quick facts about the Kamuthi Solar Power Plant:

Kamuthi Solar Power Plant Location Sengapaddai, Pudukottai, and O’Karisalkulam villages, Kamuthi taluka, Ramanthpuram district, Tamil Nadu
Kamuthi Solar Power Plant Capacity 648 MW of Solar Power
Area 2500 hectare
Number of Solar Panels 25.38 lakh
Cost of Building Kamuthi Solar Power Plant Rs. 4,550 crore
Date of Full-Capacity Commissioning 18 September 2016

Commissioning of the Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

The Kamuthi Solar Power Project Tamil Nadu was developed in 5 phases. We have provided a detailed breakdown in the following table:

Companies Capacity Date of Commissioning Achievement
Ramnad Solar Power Limited (RSPL) 72 MW 8 February 2016 Largest in Tamil Nadu
Adani Green Energy TN Limited (AGETL) 216 MW 11 March 2016 India’s largest
Ramnad Renewable Energy Limited (RREL) 72 MW 31 March 2016 Asia’s largest
Kamuthi Solar Power Limited (KSPL) 216 MW 18 September 2016 World’s largest
Kamuthi Renewable Energy Limited (KREL) 72 MW 18 September 2016 World’s largest

How Many Solar Panels are installed at the Kamuthi Solar Power Project?

Over 25 lakh solar panels have been installed at the Kamuthi Solar Power Park. Here’s how many solar panels were installed by different developers:

Name of Company Number of Solar Panels
Ramnad Solar Power Limited (RSPL) 2,78,440
Adani Green Energy TN Limited (AGETL) 8,29,440 
Ramnad Renewable Energy Limited (RREL) 3,26,048
Kamuthi Solar Power Limited (KSPL) 8,28,480
Kamuthi Renewable Energy Limited (KREL) 2,76,444
Total Solar Panels 25,38,852

You can read our blog on the best solar panels in India if you are interested in installing a solar system.

How Many Homes Are Powered by the Kamuthi Solar Park?

The Kamuthi Solar Power Plant powers 2,65,000 homes through its connection with a 400 kV substation of the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Limited (TANTRANSCO). As per a news report published in The New Indian Express, the Kamuthi Solar Project has an average daily electricity production of 30 lakh units. It has generated over 800 crore units of electricity since its commissioning.

Technologies Used at the Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

Several innovative technologies have been used at the Kamuthi Solar Power Plant. We have covered them below:

Types of Solar Panels Used at Kamuthi Solar Power Project

In most of Kamuthi Solar Power Project Tamil Nadu, monofacial polycrystalline solar panels have been used. But in a 25 MW pilot project over the final 2 phases of the solar park, the following solar panels were used:

Solar Panel Technology Capacity 
Bifacial Solar Panels 1.25 MW
Thin Film  10 MW
Seasonal Tilt  5 MW
Single Axis Tracking 8.75 MW

Our blog on types of solar panels covers all the solar panel technologies available in the market.

Single-Axis Tracker

Kamuthi Solar Power Plant uses single-axis tracker for maximising power production.

single axis tracker

The single-axis trackers follow the sun’s movement along the east-west axis. It moves from -45° to +45°. A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is used to regulate the movement of the tracker. 

Our blog on solar tracking systems covers the functioning of solar tracking systems in detail.

Automation at Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), a leading international brand in electrification and automation, created the automation and electrification system of Adani Solar Power Plant Kamuthi. As the Kamuthi Solar Project consists of 5 separate solar plants, it was important to integrate them across a single automation platform.

To ensure that the grid remains safe and secure, the power supply to the grid must remain reliable and stable. For example, cloudy weather can lead to fluctuation in power production which can damage the grid. ABB’s system will ensure that power production remains stable so that the grid is safe. It allows remote monitoring of the solar park.

Robotic Cleaning at Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

Robotic Cleaning

Ecoppia robots clean the solar panels in Kamuthi. They are fully automated and clean the solar panels without using any water. 

The robots have a solar module of their own, thus they don’t require any external power source. Ecoppia robots clean their solar panels and microfiber cleaners on their own.

25 large robots clean the solar panels at 100 revolutions per minute. These robots move up and down along a rectangular frame. When a section is cleaned, the frame moves sideways for cleaning other panels. 1 robot cleans a line of 245 m in about 2 hours. The cleaning is performed with the help of microfibres.

Why Was Kamuthi Selected for Building the Solar Park?

As per Vneet Jaain, CEO of Adani Power, 3 factors made Kamuthi suitable for setting up a solar power plant:

  • Easy availability of large swathes of land
  • Excellent solar radiation
  • Closeness to Tuticorin port

How to Visit the Kamuthi Solar Park

Here are the nearest road, rail, and air links to the Kamuthi Solar Power Plant:

Nearest Airport Madurai (90 km)
Nearest Road Porthbanur – Kamuthi – Arruppukottai Road (Adjoining Site)
Nearest Port Tuticorin Port (110 km)
Nearest Railway Station  Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu (25 km)

Volume of Equipment Used at Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

From inverters and transformers to cement and cables, here’s how much equipment was used at the Kamuthi Solar Power Plant:

Equipment  Numbers
Pile Foundations 3,80,000
Module Mounting Structure  27,000
Solar Modules 25,00,000
String Combiner Boxes  5,500
Inverters 576
Transformers 154
Switchyards 5
Perimeter Wall / Fencing  62 km
Length of Internal Roads  58 km
Length of Cables 7,700 km
Cement Consumption 30,000 metric tonnes

Major Equipment Brands at Kamuthi Solar Power Project

Below you can find the list of major equipment suppliers at the Kamuthi Solar Power Plant:

  • Solar Modules: MegaCell, Adani Solar, Hanwah, GCL, Solar Frontier, First Solar, Trina Solar, Suntech, CSI
  • Module Mounting Structure: Arctech, Satec Envir Engineering, Ganges International, Jiangsu Weir
  • Inverters: Hitachi, ABB
  • Transformers: ABB, Schneider Electric
  • Switchyard / SCADA System: ABB
  • HT Switchgear / RMU: Siemens
  • Cables: KEI Cables, Apar Industries, Polycab, Sterlite Industries
  • DC Combiner Boxes: Statcon Powtech, Jakson Engineers
  • Cable Connectors: BizLink

Are you curious about the best solar companies for installing a solar system? You can learn about the top solar companies in India from our blog.

Water Neutrality & Conservstion at Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

When a solar plant saves and harvests more water than it consumes, it is called water positive. An assessment by Norwegian company DNV found that the Kamuthi Solar Project turned water positive in 2020-21. While 35,670 m3  of water was used at the Kamuthi Solar Project, 52,982 m3  of water credit was earned, thus leading to a surplus of water.

One major initiative for water conservation at Kamuthi is the deepening of ponds. It helps reduce water loss due to evaporation and prevents the water from getting muddy and shallow. The villagers had also requested pond deepening for water conservation.

The Kamuthi Solar Power Plant was built in a record span of 8 months. Built with an investment of Rs. 4,550 crore, it has over 25 lakh solar panels. It is home to innovations such as robots for cleaning solar panels, and thin film solar panels. Kamuthi is one of the few water-positive solar plants in India and the world. It is playing a vital role in helping India meet its international renewable energy commitments.

Frequently Asked Questions

The solar park  has a capacity of 648 MW.

The Adani Solar Power Plant Kamuthi has 25,38,852 solar panels.

Adani Green Energy built the Kamuthi Solar Power Plant through its subsidiaries.

The Madurai Airport is the nearest airport to the Kamuthi Solar Power Plant.

Mostly polycrystalline solar panels are used at the Kamuthi Solar Park. Apart from that, a pilot project saw the use of bifacial and thin film solar panels.

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